Ian Wright flies home from Brazil as family robbed at knifepoint

IAN Wright arrives back in Britain from Brazil after his wife and children were held at knifepoint by robbers who broke into their house.

Ian Wright arriving at Heathrow today after his family were held at knifepoint at their house[PA/SPLASH]

The former England player, now an ITV football pundit, rushed back to the UK from the World Cup after learning of his family's horrific ordeal.

Robbers held a blade to the throat of Wright's wife Nancy, 39, and allegedly threatened to cut off their children's fingers unless she handed over cash and jewellery, it was reported in The Sun today.

The ordeal began at around 9.20pm last night when Nancy answered the door at the family's north-west London home. She was quickly overcome by four thugs who aggressively forced their way into the house.

The newspaper reported that the attackers demanded to know where the family's safe was, and bundled Nancy into one bedroom while the couple's two daughters were taken off to another.

One of the thugs is said to have shouted: "Punch her, punch her, kill her!"

It is thought that the gang may have followed the family home from a local park, perhaps aware that the ex-Arsenal player was away in Brazil at the time.

Before boarding the 11-hour flight back from Rio to London, Wright, 50, tweeted: "You won't get away with it!"

Wright's manager Steve Kutner has thanked ITV for enabling him to get back to England so quickly. He said: "It was a terrifying ordeal. They marched Ian's wife from room to room."

A sombre-looking Ian Wright arrives back in Britain [WENN.com]

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said personal possessions were stolen in the robbery, but could not confirm whether the children had indeed been violently threatened.

She said: "The suspects are described as four black men aged 18-25 years-old with London accents wearing dark clothing and hoodies obscuring their faces.

"Any witnesses or anyone with any information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

The door to Ian Wright's house shows signs of a break-in [PA]

Wright is not the first footballer to have been targeted by criminals.

Among several others, Watford midfielder Alexander Merkel was robbed on the doorstep of his home in Hampstead, north-west London, last month.

Burglars stole the FA Cup winner's medal of Wigan Athletic's James McArthur, along with two wedding rings. In 2005, former Bolton defender Mark Fish was tied up and robbed after his home appeared on TV show Footballers' Cribs.